For your own protection, it is vital that you use sunscreen when surfing. Here follows my reviews of 5 of the best surfing sunscreens on the market, complete with a handy buying guide and answers to some of your most frequently asked questions.
Best Overall Sunscreen For Surfing
Headhunter Heavy Duty Reef Safe Sunscreen
Now, this particular sunscreen has been awarded the title of Amazon’s Choice for “surfing sunscreen”. Such a title is only given to products that are not only of excellent quality but are also available at a good, reasonable price.
It has been specially designed with surfers (and other water sports enthusiasts) in mind. As such, not only does it offer exceptional SPF 50 protection from both UVA and UVB harmful rays, but it also offers water resistance, too.
This means that if you get water splashed on your face, the sunscreen will not immediately stop working. Instead, it will continue to protect your skin for up to 80 minutes from the splash.
And it has some other really great features besides, it’s cruelty-free, reef-friendly, non-toxic, non-GMO, gluten-free, and paraben and PABA free.
It also happens to be hypoallergenic, and comes in recyclable packaging. Finally, it has a non-migrating formula, which basically means that it will stay put until you decide to wash it off.
My Personal Experience testing the product: At first, I was quite dubious about putting a new product on my face because I have sensitive skin, but I had no adverse reaction to it at all. I was so confident about the product’s hypoallergenic properties I even dared to use it on my eyelids, and it didn’t sting at all.
I was also dubious about using a sunscreen that was tinted, but I felt that the color looked quite natural, like a light tan. And it didn’t feel the least bit greasy.
Pros
- SPF 50 protection from UVA & UVB harmful rays
- It is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes from a splash
- It gives your skin nice, lightly tanned appearance
- It’s free of nasty chemicals and is hypoallergenic
- It’s not tested on animals and is cruelty free
Cons
- It can leave a stain on anything it touches, so be sure to wash thoroughly afterward before using a towel
Also available to buy at:
Best Benzene Free Sunscreen For Surfing
Thinksport SPF 50+ Mineral Sunscreen
Now, here we have another great sunscreen for surfing. First off, it offers a whopping SPF 50 level of protection from harmful UV rays. What’s more, this protection is broad-spectrum, which means that it will protect you from both UVA and UVB rays.
Secondly, it’s also highly water-resistant, and if your face were to get splashed while you surfed, the sunscreen will continue to work for up to 80 minutes after the splash.
But the star feature of this sunscreen is that it is benzene free.
Some other sunscreens have benzene in their ingredients, but benzene has been classed by some organizations (namely the International Agency for Research and the World Health Organization) as carcinogenic, meaning that they see it as a cancer-causing ingredient.
So, if this is a concern for you, this might just be the product to go for.
It also has some other great features. It is Climate Pledge Friendly, and is also certified (by Amazon) as Compact By Design. What this means, basically, is that the products use less packaging for shipping, and hence means lower carbon emissions.
My Personal Experience testing the product: When putting it on, I felt that it slid on nicely, and had a really nice citrus scent to it. The only drawback in my opinion is that when I started to sweat, I’m not sure if the product continued to work for me.
Pros
- SPF 50 level of protection from both UVA and UVB rays
- Highly water-resistant for up to 80 minutes after a splash
- It is free of the cancer-causing carcinogen, benzene
- It uses less packaging, and is environmentally friendly
- Absorbs well, and has a nice citrus scent
Cons
- Not sure if it continues to work if you start to sweat
Also available to buy at:
Best Natural Sunscreen For Surfing
SurfDurt Original Sunblock – Natural Sunscreen
If you’re looking for an all-natural sunscreen that has been designed with water sport enthusiasts in mind, then this could be the one for you…
It’s made with 11 food-grade, sustainably sourced ingredients, including the likes of coconut oil, avocado, beeswax, cocoa butter.
And the result is a sunscreen that smells gorgeous, and is naturally free of hidden nasty chemicals. It also offers SPF 30 protection from the sun’s harmful rays, including both UVA and UVB rays.
What’s more, it’s also highly water-resistant, and will continue to keep working once splashed for up to another 80 minutes or so.
And another great thing about this particular sunscreen is that the ingredients aren’t at all harmful to any marine or aquatic life, it’s 100% reef friendly.
I was also very reassured to learn that the formula is made right here in the USA, specifically in San Diego, California.
My Personal Experience testing the product: I absolutely loved the coconut scent when I tried it on my face – dreamy. And when I started to sweat, my buddy said that he could still see the product on my face, so I know that the product is sweat-proof.
Pros
- Made with all natural food grade ingredients
- The ingredients are all sustainably sourced
- SPF 30 protection from both UVA and UVB rays
- Highly water-resistant, for up to 80 minutes
- It has a nice coconut scent that smells delicious
- 100% reef friendly, & made in the USA to boot
Cons
- The SPF value is SPF 30 rather than SPF 50, but this should still provide a great deal of protection
Also available to buy at:
Best Sunscreen Stick For Surfing
Thinkbaby SPF 30 Sunscreen Stick
The thing about using sunscreen lotion is that you have to apply it by hand, and that means getting your hands a little greasy. And that’s not exactly what you want when you need to get a good grip of your surfboard.
But, there’s an easy solution to that, which is to use a stick rather than a lotion. And this one we have here is one of the best around – it ticks all the boxes…
First off, it offers an SPF 30 level of protection from harmful UV rays. What’s more, this protection is broad-spectrum, which means that it will protect you from both UVA and UVB rays.
Secondly, it’s also highly water-resistant, and if your face were to get splashed while you surfed, the sunscreen will continue to work for up to 80 minutes after the splash.
And it has other great features besides.
It was the first ever sunscreen to pass the Whole Foods Premium Care requirements, which it achieved by using a mineral formula that is free of hidden nasty chemicals, including PABA, parabens, BPA, oxybenzone, phthalates, avobenzone, petroleum, gluten, or dairy.
Moreover, the formula, made right here in the USA, is not only highly biodegradable, but it doesn’t contain any chemicals known to be harmful to coral reefs.
My Personal Experience testing the product: When the package arrived, I was surprised at how small the stick actually was, but that didn’t pose a problem because I was only using it on my face. It went on nicely and did what it was supposed to do.
And it was actually quite convenient that it was so small because I was able to fit it in my pocket on the way to the beach.
Pros
- It’s in a stick form rather than a lotion
- SPF 30 level of protection from both UVA and UVB rays
- Highly water-resistant, for up to 80 minutes after a splash
- Uses a mineral formula that’s free of hidden nasty chemicals
- It doesn’t contain any chemicals known to be harmful to coral reefs
Cons
- Some customers felt it wasn’t good value for money because the stick is so small
Also available to buy at:
Best Lip Sunscreen For Surfing
Sun Bum Signature SPF 30 Sunscreen Lip Balm
Taking care of your skin while surfing is simple enough – but you must also remember to take care of your lips as well.
I’ve been checking out some of the best sunscreen lip balms around, and I believe this is one of the best.
It offers SPF 30 level of broad-spectrum protection against harmful UV rays. This means that it will protect against both UVA and UVB rays alike. (I tried looking for ones with SPF 50 protection, but they don’t seem to exist.)
And that’s not all – it has been designed to work for surf and water sport enthusiasts, and it will not migrate however rigorously you’re enjoying the surf.
In fact, this line of lip balm from Sun Bum is one of the most trusted brands used by several lifeguard and beach rescue groups.
It comes enriched with vitamin E which is great for your skin, and it is hypoallergenic, and free of hidden nasty chemicals such as gluten and parabens.
And if all that’s not enough, it also happens to be cruelty-free to boot – what a win!
My Personal Experience testing the product: I liked using the product, it was quite moisturizing, and has that kinda “no fragrance” scent that we’ve all smelt before.
Pros
- SPF 30 level of protection against both UVA and UVB rays
- It will not migrate, however rigorously you’re enjoying the surf
- Often used by several lifeguard and beach rescue organizations
- It comes enriched with vitamin E which is great for your skin
- It’s free of hidden nasty chemicals such as gluten and parabens
- And it also happens to be cruelty-free to boot
Cons
- Some would argue that it’s a little expensive for a lip balm, but in this instance I’d say it’s absolutely worth it
Also available to buy at:
Buying Guide
As promised, here’s your buying guide. Let’s walk you through some of the key points to consider before you buy.
Level Of Protection
In this article, I’ve deliberately sought out sunscreens that offer at least an SPF 30 level of protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
The higher the SPF level, the greater the degree of protection. SPF 15 is the minimum necessary for any kind of benefit.
Ideally, when surfing an SPF level of 50 is better, but sadly not all brands of surfing sunscreen can offer this level of protection.
It’s also worth noting at this point that there are other sunscreens out there that can offer as much as SPF 70 protection.
Broad-Spectrum Protection
It is important that you use a sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection because this means that you will be protected against an entire spectrum of harmful UV rays, including long wavelength UVA rays, and short wavelength UVB rays.
Water Resistance
Very few surfers ever manage to enjoy a day’s surfing without getting their face splashed, and this is why I’ve only included sunscreens with water resistance in my shortlist.
Any surfing sunscreen worth its salt allows users to get splashed, without it affecting their level of protection from the sun’s harmful rays.
However, this water resistance is not entirely perfect, and if you do get splashed, I recommend that you make your way back to shore and re-apply the sunscreen within 80 minutes of getting splashed if at all possible.
Reef-Friendly
If, like me, you care about the reefs and the marine or aquatic life there, you will also require your sunscreen to be reef-friendly and not damaging to the reef or harmful to its various life forms.
Free Of Nasty Chemicals
Sunscreens typically have very artificial formulas, with all kinds of hidden nasty chemicals within.
But I was not going to tolerate that in my shortlist, and all the sunscreens that made my shortlist are completely free of the most well known nasty chemicals. These include parabens, benzene, and BPA.
If you have any allergies or have sensitive skin, then you will need to be extra careful in this regard, and you’d be well advised to look for sunscreens that are hypoallergenic, because these are less likely than other sunscreens to cause an allergic reaction.
Feel And Scent
You will also be influenced by how the sunscreen feels to put on. Putting on a lotion that feels really greasy can be quite unpleasant, and may put you off using the sunscreen again. Which is a bad thing, because you have to apply it quite frequently if you’re going to be surfing for several hours.
And there’s a lot to be said for a sunscreen that you like the smell of. Most sunscreens have a lotion-like scent to them, but you can also get ones like my number 3 pick, the SurfDurt Original Sunblock, which is made from natural ingredients and has a gorgeous coconut scent.
And once you’ve found a sunscreen that you like the scent of, you’ll have no problem frequently applying it.
Lotion Vs Stick
Sunscreen is typically available in two main forms, as a lotion or as a stick. While the lotion form is currently the most common form, the stick form is growing in popularity, and it’s plain to see why…
With a sunscreen stick you don’t have to get any greasy sunscreen on your hands, which could make your surfboard more difficult to grip, which is the last thing you want.
Other Features
Some sunscreens also offer features I’ve not yet covered…
For example, you could look for cruelty-free, vegan sunscreens that aren’t tested on animals, like my number one pick, the Headhunter Heavy Duty Reef Safe Sunscreen.
Or you could look for brands that are climate pledge friendly and better for the environment, like my number two pick, the Thinksport SPF 50+ Mineral Sunscreen.
Answers To Your Most Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Best Surf Sunscreen?
I would argue that the best surf sunscreen around is my number one pick, the Headhunter Heavy Duty Reef Safe Sunscreen. Here’s a quick recap on what makes it such a good choice:
- SPF 50 protection from UVA & UVB harmful rays
- It is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes from a splash
- It gives your skin nice, lightly tanned appearance
- It’s free of nasty chemicals and is hypoallergenic
- It’s not tested on animals and is 100 % cruelty free
How to Apply Sunscreen?
You should apply your sunscreen generously, more is more. Do not skimp. Apply it to every area of skin that is not fully covered. And you should apply it often, at least every 2 hours.
Should I Wear Sunscreen Even on Cloudy Days?
You should most definitely wear sunscreen on cloudy days. Both harmful UVA and UVB rays can easily penetrate through clouds, and still cause skin cancer, especially if you are exposed and unprotected for a long length of time.
